crittenden



No. s|s,9o2. Patented Jam-3, i899.

. M. H. cmTTENuEN. i

MEANS FOB GLOSINGLIGHT WELLS.

(Application med Aug. 2b, 1891.)

v 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

zyzesses.

ls wams Patented lan. 3, |899.

HI.v H. CRITTEND'EN. MEANS FUR CLOSING LIGHT'WELLS.

(Application med Aug. 2o, xeav.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 6|6,902. Patented lan.-3, |899.

lM. H. CRITTENDEN. MEANS FDR CLDSING LIGHT. WELLS.

' (Appucason med Aug. 2o, 1897.)

( NNNNNN l.)

NTTED STATES PATENT union..

vMASON II. CRIT'IENDEN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CRITTENDEN ROOFING AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

sAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR CLOSING LIGHT-WELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,902, dated January 3, 1899-.

I Applicationled August 20,1897. Serial No. 6481869. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAsoN H. CRITTENDEN, a citizen of ,the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Closing Light-Wells or other Openings; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a convenient and reliable means for closing light-well or other openings in buildings, so as to afford a complete separation between ghe different stories of the building in case of re.

In large buildings used for mercantile purposes light-wells are usually provided which extend through the different stories to the roof. If a fire occurs on any floor, these lightwell openings aord a ready passage for the iiames and moving currents of air and gases to the other stories or iloors, thereby facilitating the spread of the iire under a strong draft to all parts of the building.

The object of my invention is to provide movable ceilings adapted to close the light- Well openings in the fixed ceilings whenever so desired, so as to be able to confine aflre to the single story or floor where started, and they also serve to prevent the water from being poured through onto the lower floors when the iire is yin an upper story. These movable ceilings are provided with operating connections which are preferably so arranged as to be operative from a common source. Hence all the light-well openings may be simultaneously and quickly closed whenever occasion demands.

To the ends above noted my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention in the form which it would take for closing light-well openings of considerable size is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein rlike notations refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a sectional elevation througha part of a building equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail in sectional elevation showing the sets or sections of the movable ceilings as the same would appear when in position to close the light-well opening, with some parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the lap-sections of a single set of the ceiling-sections as they would appear when in their idle position at one side of the light-well. Fig. 4 is a plan view with the parts in the same position as shown in Fig. l, some portions being broken away; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the floor and ceiling on the line Q05 :05 of Fig. 4t.

Referring especially to Fig. l, the numerals 1 2 3 represent different floors of a building, numbered upward from the ground iioor. ct represents one of the sideor end walls, and b represents supporting-columns. c represents the fixed ceilings in the dierent stories. The ceilings and ioors are cut away to afford the usual ligh-t-well opening d. The parts so far noted are all of the ordinary or any suitable construction common in mercantile buildings. f

Directing attention now to my invention, I provide ceiling-sections ff, which for light- Well openings of large size are arranged in sets of lap or telescoping sections at the opposite sides or ends of the light-well. In the instance illustrated the sets at each side are made up of two sections f f', which are arranged to lap or slide one under the other for permitting the same to assume a compact form, requiring small space when in their idle position, as shown in Fig. 3. The ceilingsections f f are made of suitable fireproof material, vpreferably sheet metal, reinforced by proper metallic framing and braces.' The said sections f f arev provided with iiangedv wheels f2, which travel on angle-iron rails f3, v

made fast in any suitable way to the columns b or other parts ofthe iixed structure in proper position for supporting the movable ceilings, as required. The ceiling-sections ff are also provided with lateral flanges f4, which underreach the horizontal parts of the angle-iron rails f3, and thereby prevent an opening between the movable ceiling-sections and the rails on which they are mounted to travel.

By reference to Figs. l, 2, and 3 it may be noted that in order to permit the lap-sections ff to slide one under the other the bodies of the sections are reversely supported in respect to the trucks. The body of the forward section f depends from the trucks, while the body of the rearward section is supported abovo the truck-axles. 4This permits the bodies of the two cooperating lap-sections f f to move one under the other with a comparatively tight joint. The rearward section f is shown as provided with a small roller f5, which travels on the central cross-beam f6 of the outer or forward section f'. The rearward section f is shown as provided with a downwardly-projecting finger or bracketiron f7, adapted to engage with the back main beam of the forward section f when the latter is pulled out to its limit, and thereby cause the two sections f f to move together in their further outward travel. The diagonal braces fSl are of less depth than the main beams ff of the ceiling-sections f f', which construction affords the necessary clearance to permit the outer section f to move in respect to the rearward section f without interference from the finger f7 until the point desired is reached. The sheet-metal portions of the said sections ff are further reinforced by suitable trusses fw, properly applied to the main framing of the said sections.

A pair of endless chains h are mounted on sprockets 7L', carried by shafts h2, located at the opposite sides of the building or other convenient point beyond the opposite ends of the light-well and the limits of the ceilingsections travel. The said chains h are mounted to travel above and below the ceiling-sections. rlhe outer or forward section of one set-to wit, the left-hand set, as shown, of the lap-sectionsff#is connected by bracketirons h3 or otherwise to the upper-running folds of the chains h, and the outer or forward section of the opposite or right-hand set of said lap-sections ff is connected by corresponding brackets h4 to the under-running folds of said chains h. Hence a continuous movement of the said chains 71, in one direction will move the opposite sets of said lapsections f f toward or from each other, as desired, according to the direction in which the chains 7L are run. The several chainshafts h2, at at least one end of the chains, are in position to be operated from a common vertical shaft g by means of beveled gears g'. This vertical shaft g extends to the ground floor or other desired point and is provided with suitable means for operating the same, which means, as shown, comprise a handcrank shaft g2 and beveled gears g3. As shown, the vertical shaft g and the handcrank shaft g2 have their bearings in a common support g4, shown as resting on the ground floor 1. Vith this arrangement of the operating connections it is obvious that all of the movable ceiling-sections may be simultaneously operated from the common source or hand-crank g2.

Normally while the building is in use during business hours the ceiling-sections will occupy their idle position to one side of the light-well opening, as shown in Fig. 3. \Vhen it is desired to close the light-well opening, the hand-crank g2 will be turned by an operator in the proper direction. Under the initial movement of the chains h the forward sections f will be first moved toward each other, while the rearward sections f remain stationary. Then the two sections ff' will be made to move together by the engagement of the fingers f7 with the rear main beams f" of the sections f', and under the continued movement of the chains in the same direction the two sets of the ceiling-sections f j" will be brought into the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby completely closing the lightwell opening. By reference to Figs. 1 and2 it will be seen that the opposing edges of the sections f of the opposite sets of ceiling-sections are provided with facing flanges f, which are staggered in respect to each other in the vertical plane and adapted to under and over lap each other when the parts are in position to close the light-well opening, as shown in Fig. 2. The rearward sections fare never pulled entirely out from under the fixed ceiling at the opposite ends of the light-well. The two or more sections of each set f j" at each side always overlap. Hence in virtue of the lap-joints at the rails the lap-joints between the two sections of the respective sets ff and the lap-joint formed by the flanges fl1 when the forward sections meet, as shown in Fig. 2, it is obvious that when the movable ceiling-sections are in position to close the light-well no openings of sufficient size to afford a draft or a ready passage for the flames can exist. Hence when the movable ceilings are in position to close the light-well the fire on any givenV floor may be much more readily confined thereto than when the light-well remains open. Likewise if the re is on an upper story the closing of the light-well openings by said movable ceiling will prevent temporarily the streams of water from the hose being poured down through the light-well openings onto the goods in the lower story. Of course it will be understood that the primary purpose is to prevent the spread of the flames. The movable ceilings are not intended to afford a water-tight closure of the light-well opening; but if the fire is on an upper story the closing of the light-well openings on the lower stories by said movable ceilings will temporarily intercept the streams of water which might otherwise be poured through the said openings onto the lower floors.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by my invention I have provided a device which largely lessens the fire-risk on goods in build- IOO IIO

ings having light-Well or other openings. By actual usage l have demonstrated the efficiency of this invention and have found that the application thereof to non-reproof or slow-burning buildings reduces the rate of insurance to a large extent.

It will of course be understood that the movable ceilings will be adapted to the size of the opening which it is desired to close. For some light-wells single sections on opposite sides may be sufficient. In still others one single section might suffice. It will also be understood that the movable ceiling-sections may be made of any suitable material and that the details might be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. In a building, the combination with a fixed ceiling,having a light-well or other opening, of suitably-located sprocket-wheels, a pair of parallel endless chains running over said sprocket-wheels, movable ceiling-sections connected one to the upper and the other to the lower strands of said endless chains, whereby they will be moved in opposite directions by continuous movements of said chains, and means for simultaneously moving the said sprocket-wheels, substantially as described. Y

2. The combination with a fixed ceiling hav- 'ing a light-Well opening, and a movable ceiling made up of the opposite sets of lap-sections f f mounted to move toward and from each other, of the endless chains h mounted to over and under run the said ceiling-sections, and the forward members of the opposite sets of said ceiling-sections, connected to opposite folds of said chains, whereby continuous movement of said chains in opposite directions will cause said sets of ceiling-sections to approach or recede from each other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MASON H. CRITTENDEN. 

